On April 16, American Rivers and its partners announced the 10 most endangered rivers in the nation, and South Carolina's Little Pee Dee is fifth on the list.
Inclusion on the list doesn’t mean that these rivers are doomed, but rather that they are are at “the crux of a decision-making process that could go either way,” American Rivers’ Southeast conservation director Janae Davis said.
For the Little Pee Dee River, this “tipping point” is the looming construction of Interstate 73, which would cross the river and cut through the Little Pee Dee Heritage Preserve, Davis said.
The road project would destroy wetlands and critical wildlife habitat, threaten the overall health of the river and make surrounding communities more vulnerable to flooding, she said.
Flood risks
LITTLE PEE DEE RIVER: The Little Pee Dee River flows between Horry and Marion counties and is characterized by its tea-colored water, sandbars, lakes and forested swamps. (Source: Esri)
South Carolina’s portion of I-73 would extend from I-95 in Dillon County, through Marion County and end at S.C. Route 22 between Aynor and Conway. It would impact more than 300 acres of wetlands and more than 3,800 linear feet of streams, according to the most recent environmental impact report for the project.
Wetlands provide critical wildlife habitat, support healthy fisheries, improve water quality, filter out pollutants and function as a community's first line of defense against flooding by storing excess stormwater. By destroying these wetlands, I-73 would make flooding in the region worse, Davis said.
Many of the communities in the interstate’s proposed pathway still are recovering from hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018, said Debra Buffkin, executive director of Winyah Rivers Alliance.
“Many have yet to rebuild, and many are living in homes full of mold and mildew because they cannot financially build again,” Buffkin said.
Flooding has become more of an issue in recent years, noted Winyah Rivers Alliance project manager Dylan Coleman.
“(The river) seems to flood more often, quicker and drain slower when it floods,” he said, adding that it’s a problem for the people already living there and for newcomers as the population grows.
The road project also presents environmental justice concerns for Black and low-income landowners in the area, Davis added.
“It's already a very vulnerable region,” she said.
Floodwaters from the Little Pee Dee River flow close to the top of a bridge on U.S. Highway 76 near Nichols in Marion County on Sept. 18, 2018.
'It's a vital lifeline'
The Little Pee Dee River flows through a diverse landscape along the state's upper coastal plain. The river encounters cypress-tupelo swamps, sandhills and oxbow lakes and eventually converges with the Great Pee Dee River, the report noted.
Its 118-mile course and surrounding wetlands are home to wildlife such as largemouth bass, catfish, river otters, wild turkeys, bobcats, herons and ospreys, and flora such as lilies, wild orchids and asters. The river also provides the local communities a place to play, relax and fish year-round, said Coleman, who grew up in Marion County.
“You'd be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn't have very fond memories of that river growing up there,” he said.
It also holds cultural significance for the Waccamaw and Pee Dee tribes.
“The numerous wetlands were a safe haven for indigenous people during the time of settlement expansion,” said Cheryl Cail, Acting Chief of the Waccamaw Indian People.
Destroying wetlands also would destroy the historical pathways and trade routes of the tribes, she added.
"The Little Pee Dee River is not just a body of water," Buffkin said. "It's a vital lifeline to our ecosystem, our heritage and our future.”
A cypress tree grows in the shallows at Locust Landing on the Little Pee Dee River.
A river at a crossroads
I-73 is already permitted and will begin when the state secures the roughly $2 billion needed for construction. Key decisions later this year will impact the Little Pee Dee River and the communities surrounding it, Davis said.
In November, Horry County residents will vote on a 25-year transportation sales tax, which could include $450 million for the portion of the interstate between Route 22 and the Marion County line, said Becky Ryon, the North Coast Office Director for the Coastal Conservation League.
“Every voter in Horry County will have a say on that,” she said.
The I-73 project would provide a direct link between I-95 and Myrtle Beach, alleviate traffic congestion and reduce evacuation times in the event of a hurricane, the S.C. Department of Transportation outlined in the final decision.
Those opposed to the highway plan said it's unnecessary and misleading.
“It's been disingenuous for them to call it an interstate for Myrtle Beach because the interstate would not extend that far,” Ryon said, emphasizing that I-73 would largely parallel 501 and stop before Myrtle Beach.
“Improving existing roads would deliver similar economic and transportation benefits, at a fraction of the cost of building I-73, without devastating our environment and communities,” she said.
Conservationists call for responsible, deliberate development. With weakened federal protections on wetlands from the 2023 Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency decision, they also call for greater state-level protections to preserve the river, wetlands and surrounding communities.
“We can talk with our representatives and ask for more state protections to protect the river now before some of the development may come,” Buffkin said. “We're not against growth. We want responsible growth.”
Like Coleman, Buffkin grew up fishing on the river and is looking forward to sharing those experiences with future generations, including her first grandchild due in July.
“I've already bought her a Barbie fishing rod, and she hasn't even been born yet,” Buffkin said. “I’m so excited to share that with her.”
But this will only be possible if people work together now to preserve it, she said.
American Rivers updates its list of threatened river systems every year. The Little Pee Dee is not the first South Carolina river to be included. The organization listed the South Fork Edisto River in 2014 and the Edisto River in 2015 for issues including wastewater discharges, coal ash pollution and excessive water withdrawals, American Rivers reported.
